Riding The S-Curve - Reasons for the Powerful Surge in Intraoral Scanning in Dentistry

Story by Rune Fisker - 3Shape Senior Vice President Product Strategy.

When we examine successful technologies, we notice a common pattern: they typically follow an S-curve of adoption. This means that for a long time, their adoption progresses slowly, then it rapidly accelerates, and finally, it slows down again during the last phase of market saturation.

Take, for example, the adoption of iPads or electric cars. These technologies initially experienced slow growth. However, as they developed, their adoption rates steepened, indicating a rapid increase in their use before eventually plateauing.

In dentistry we are observing this model with intraoral scanner technology. Intraoral scanner adoption is booming and following the S-curve pattern. In the most saturated markets, such as the US, Nordic countries, and Australia, intraoral scanner penetration exceeds 50%. Other markets are also quickly catching up.

Explosive growth of scanning

Here are some impressive statistics that highlight this trend. With 3Shape’s own intraoral scanner, TRIOS, the number of scans taken with it grew 53% last year. Over the last few months, more than two million patients were scanned with TRIOS. In the USA, more than 35% of all lab cases in 2022 were processed using intraoral scans, demonstrating the rapid integration of this technology.

Intraoral scanners are transforming the dental industry. They are becoming an essential component of dental care because they are evolving into more than just a tool for creating a digital impression.

Dentists are discovering that intraoral scanning is much more efficient and enables them to provide better patient care and treatment quality. They are also able to better engage their patients with an intraoral scan. Scans are becoming a more transparent means of promoting treatment acceptance. Not to mention making the workflow with labs and sending a case to them so much smoother.

Not just a digital impression

In the case of our own TRIOS, one of the applications that comes with the scanner, Patient Monitoring, is used to compare scans taken over time. The application assesses two scans and with both color-coded visuals and numerically, quantifies the differences in the scans and in turn, changes to a patient’s oral situation. Dentists can track tooth erosion, grinding and movement, to both educate and motivate their patients.

Consider a scenario where a patient visits your practice for the first time. If the patient is scanned during the initial visit, the scans can be compared over time to detect even the slightest changes with micron accuracy. This capability is invaluable for diagnosing conditions like gingiva retraction or tooth grinding. You are also demonstrating to the patient that your practice is forward-thinking.

The times they are a-changin’

The digital advantage is not being lost on dentists. We can see the idea of scanning every patient, every time is becoming more routine for dental practices. Currently, a patient is scanned with a TRIOS every 1.3 seconds.

In the past, dentists were worried that they could not use an intraoral scanner for all types of indications. Especially those involving edentulism like dentures or full mouth restorations. But real-life cases and clinical studies provided by clinicians like Prof. Dr. Lucio Lo Russo, Eric D. Kukucka DD and others have proven that scanners can indeed be used for complex cases.

Intraoral scanning can cover all dental indications. With digital impression systems like TRIOS bringing even more benefits to the workflow by including built-in features like shade measurement, patient-specific motion tracking, patient monitoring, and caries detection.

While intraoral scanners are making digital pathways simpler and more easily available to dentists everywhere, I believe that soon, the most radical changes will come with the ongoing development of new 3D printing materials.

Digital dentistry is on the cusp of a major transformation. One that is driven by advancements in intraoral scanning, 3D printing, and material science. These innovations will not only enhance clinical outcomes but also improve efficiency and patient experience, heralding a new era in dental care.

Serving the digital consumer

As dentists embrace these technological advancements, I believe it's crucial that they also look to create a digital experience for their patients.

Today’s patients are digital consumers. Dentals practices are increasingly recognizing this and can leverage it by offering intraoral scans at the very first appointment. In this way, they will immediately engage the patient while also creating a baseline scan to add to their patient’s library/record.

As the S-curve model and our statistics demonstrate, intraoral scanner use is growing fast. Integrating an intraoral scanner will enable dental practices to meet the evolving expectations of digital-savvy patients and provide practices with new opportunities to treat and care for their patients and deliver better treatment quality and patient experience.

As Dr. Jonthan L. Ferencz once said: “If your practice is not digital and a patient comes to you for a crown, it's three visits and most likely an uncomfortable temporary. If they are treated by an experienced CAD/CAM practitioner, it’s a single two hour visit for the crown. Who are you going to go to?